Folding laundry-rack.



I L. F. ELMENDORF'.

FOLDING LAUNDRY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 19. 1911.

1,281,318. Patented Oct. 15, 1918-;

r} a 5 Iii INVENTOR ATTORNEY @NITE STATES PATENT FFTQE.

LUGIUS F. ELMENDORF, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALFTO B. L. FRANCE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FOLDING LAUNDRY-BACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

Application filed November 19, 1917. Serial No. 202,812.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUoIUs F. ELMnNDoRF, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State ofCalifornia, have invented an Improvement in Folding Laundry-Racks; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of my invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

My invention relates to a folding rack used to support clothes andfabrics, and it is especially adapted for use in structures where thearea provided for the drying, airing, or hanging of these articles isnecessarily limited; and it consists in the arrangement and novelconstruction of parts hereinafter described.

The object of my invention is to provide a rack of the characterdescribed which may be folded up and held out of the way when not inuse, and thus to relieve the congestion in small areas.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carriedinto efiect, the same is described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which similar numerals indicate like parts Figure 1, is aside elevation showing the rack extended.

Fig. 2, is a side elevation showing the rack partially folded.

Fig. 3, is a side elevation showing the rack completely folded.

Fig. 4-, is a perspective view of the rack in a selected position.

Fig. 5, is a cross-section of the guide.

Fig. 6, is a detail of one of the supporting arms.

In detail, my device consists of a frame comprised of perpendicularside-pieces, 2, a horizontal top-bar, 3, and a horizontal basebar, 41. Arack comprised of parallel. sidepieces, 5, adapted to receive a seriesof parallel horizontal supporting rungs, 6, 1s hinged to the saidbase-bar, as at 7. The outer face of each of said side-pieces, 5, isprovided with a guide, 8, each held in position by a screw, 9, andadapted to turn about the same. Vashers, 10, are placed between the saidguides and side-pieces to permit greater freedom in turning. Pivoted tothe said top-bar, 3, as at 11, are supporting arms, 12, whose lowerportions are received by and extend through the said guides, 8. Theinner face of each of said supporting arms, 12, is provided with agroove, 13, to prevent contact with the head of the screws, 9, as thesaid supporting arms slide in the said guides when the said rack ispulled down or pushed up. Flush with the upper faces of the saidsupporting arms, and at the lower ends thereof, are mounted turned-upstops, 14:, which contact with the said guides When the rack. is fullyextended and thus limit the outward swing of the rack. Suitably mountedat a convenient point on the upper face of each of said supporting armsare flat spring members provided with elevated portions, 15 and 16,which, when forced through the said guides, 8, as the rack is pushedupward, hold the rack when the same is folded up and in a partial orcomplete, respectively, inoperative position.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described, a base-bar, a top-bar, aclothes-rack comprised of a series of parallel horizontal rungs mountedin a pair of parallel sidepieces hinged to said basebar, a pair ofsupporting arms pivoted at their upper ends to said top-bar and adaptedto slide in suitable guides mounted on said side-pieces, said guidesbeing adapted to engage with fiat spring members carried by saidsupporting arms to hold said rack when in inoperative position, andsuitable stops mounted on the free ends of said supporting arms to limitthe outward swing of said rack.

2. In a device of the character described, a top-bar, a base-bar, aclothes-rack hinged to said base-bar, a pair of supporting arms pivotedto said top-bar and adapted to slide back and forth through suitablemovable guides carried by said rack as the same is raised or lowered,means carried by said supporting arms adapted to engage said guides andhold said device when in inoperative position, and suitable stops tolimit the outward swing of said rack.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aifixed my signature this 3 day ofNovember, A. D., 1917.

LUCIUS F. ELMENDORF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

